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We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #403 this evening. Check out the topics below or drop us your questions and comments via the Q&A module. And don't forget to subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so. To take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Developers in Spain use crowdsourcing and online sources to find the scenic way

Mapping services like Mapquest are used to find the quickest route from point A to point B, regardless of the quality of the route. A team of researchers in Barcelona, Spain want to change that with a new algorithm designed to get users to their destination in the most pleasant way possible.

The next time you fume when you see the numbskull in the car next to you texting from behind the wheel, consider this: mobile-phone applications are actually causing people drive less and use public transportation more.

Ed. Crowdfunding Combat is a new recurring series on the TRANSLOGIC blog that profiles two active campaigns on crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and asks readers to vote on the idea they like best. The TRANSLOGIC blog staff does not endorse or contribute to the campaigns featured within the Crowdfunding Combat posts. Reader votes will have no direct bearing on the outcome of the featured campaigns.

In the late 1990s, Nintendo bundled a controller attachment known as the Rumble Pak with their popular Star Fox 64 video game. The motorized accessory attempted to mimic the onscreen action through physical controller feedback, and we'll admit that slamming into an asteroid after being instructed to "do a barrel roll!" carried a bit more impact with the Rumble Pak.

A new app for Glass, the wearable smart device from tech giant Google, provides Tesla Model S owners with a futuristic way to control their futuristic ride. The appropriately named GlassTesla app was designed by Sahas Katta, an "aspiring tech evangelist" based in San Jose, Calif.
A website dedicated to the app provides a first person view of GlassTesla's features, which include vehicle location services and the ability to view and control charge status, climate control and door locks, all from

Over the past few years we've seen automakers start to offer in-car apps, similar to what consumers have come to expect from their smartphones. Toyota added popular services such as Pandora, OpenTable, MovieTickets.com and Bing Search to their cars via Entune. BMW, Mercedes and many other carmakers are quickly growing their library of apps as well, and a new study suggests why.

For cyclists, the road can be a dangerous place, and it can become all the more dangerous when you have to look up directions to where you are going on your phone while pedaling away. That's why bike-tech startup Helios created Helios Bars, handlebars that turn your ride into a smart bike.

Mercedes-Benz is taking steps to position itself amongst the automotive technology leaders with help from Google. This week at Google's massive I/O tech convention in San Francisco, Mercedes showed off its new DriveStyle App. Many of the features we're already familiar with, as they come directly from Google.

BMW brought 80 software developers and computer programmers together to tackle the themes of sustainability and electro-mobility in a hackathon last month. BMW hosted the Sustainability Hackathon to deal with a widespread problem – electric vehicles that get parked at charging stations – for example, during the workday – for extended periods of time beyond the few hours needed for charging.

Mini showed off four new apps for their Mini Connected infotainment platform at the 2013 New York International Auto Show. Audible (digital spoken-word content), Glympse (location sharing), Rhapsody (on-demand music service) and TuneIn (Internet radio), add another suite of apps that are not only unique from each other, but also offer drivers expanded capabilities to safely access smartphone apps while driving.

You no longer need the latest car to keep track of vital vehicle data--only the latest app for your smart phone. The Apps for Vehicles Challenge, announced in October by the U.S. Department of Energy, is a competition aimed at creating innovative and accessible apps that employ vehicle information to help drivers improve fuel efficiency and safety.